Family visits
Family information
Visit the Families Desk and Ford Centre
Collect backpacks and Museum explorer trails.
Families Desk opening times
Weekends and school holidays: 10.00–12.30 and 13.15–16.30
See additional Families Desk closures.
See London Borough of Camden school holiday dates.
Free – advance booking recommended (except under 4s)
Families with children of all ages can enjoy a range of free gallery activities.
Experience the extraordinary collection in a safe environment, by finding out what activities and facilities are currently available. Take on a Museum Mission featured in six galleries and challenge your family to a variety of tasks. At the weekends pick up an activity backpack, or a Museum explorer trail, from the Families Desk to guide you around the galleries on an in-depth exploration of the different times and cultures on display.
During school holidays, we run a range of playful and inspiring workshops that bring the stories in the Museum collection to life. Our exhibition programme is free for children under 16, when accompanied by a paying adult.
For regular news and updates, sign up to our family newsletter.
The Smurfs and Bastet trail
This summer, step into a magical adventure with Bastet, the ancient Egyptian guardian cat, and the Smurfs at the British Museum. Follow the trail and race to find the crystals before evil sorcerer Gargamel finds them first, and restore the Crystal of Eternity!
To help the Smurfs defeat Gargamel, you'll need a Museum map and your best 'observing skills'. The adventure takes about 45–60 minutes to complete and includes six different galleries in the Museum:
- Egyptian sculpture (Room 4)
- Greece: Athens (Room 19)
- Assyria: Lion hunts, Siege of Lachish and Khorsabad (Room 10)
- Clocks and watches (Room 37)
- Enlightenment (Room 1)
- Reading Room
Please note that galleries can close at short notice. See the list of planned closures for the latest information.
Stay together, look carefully and most of all – have a Smurfy time!
